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The Heat Transfer Business: Specific and General Methods
Heat Transfer Paper Types: Hot Peel, Cold Peel, and Opaque for colored T-shirts and Alpha Gold Hi-Gloss
TransMagic Heat Transfer Inks
Epson Bulk Systems
Canon Bulk Systems
The type of ink that you use is more important than the printer



Graphtec plotter cutters
Essential tools for your Vinyl business
ThermoFlex T-Shirt Vinyl Media
CADtex T-Shirt Vinyl Media
Pre-cut Flock Transfers
Plastisol Transfers



Top Ten Heat Presses
Heat Press Basics
HIX Heat Press for the Heat Transfer Business
Stahls Hotronix and Mighty Press Heat Press Machines
Geo Knight Heat Press for The T-shirt Business
Heat press accessories



Starting A T-shirt Business: Planning, Selling, Producing and Profiting
Hanes SublimationMaker and Hanes T-ShirtMaker: Easy to learn and use template programs, for T-shirts and other items
Heat Transfer Tips and Tricks
Testimonials About The Quality of Our Heat Transfer Paper
Contact Alpha Supply Company: Phone, Fax and E-mail
Help and Support

Alpha Supply Web Map: Index page of links leading to all 12 of our teaching web sites

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Contour cutting with a vinyl cutter

How to contour (outline) cut heat transfer paper

This page demonstrates how to contour cut, with a vinyl cutter, our Alpha Double Green heat transfer paper for white shirts and, further down the page, how to contour cut our Alpha Gold Dark for colored shirts.

Outline (contour) Cutting Alpha Double Green for Whites

READ ME FIRST – During the demo, the printed transfer is placed on a “carrier sheet” to feed it through the cutter. This clear acetate sheet has an adhesive film on it to hold the transfer. There are two reasons that it is necessary to use a carrier sheet to outline cut heat transfer paper

  • If the feeder rollers on the cutter were actually rolling across the transfer film they would quickly gum up and slip.

  • There must be at least 1” margins. For this reason, the carrier sheet is bigger than the 11x17 Alpha Double Green. *Note: Most transfer paper for white shirts cannot be used.

  • The graphic is on the screen, and the registration marks have been added, using the Graphtec program.

  • We’re using the Graphtec Cutting Master 2 Plug-in module, along with CorelDraw 11.

  • The 11x17 Alpha Double Green heat transfer paper has printed.

  • *Note – Alpha Purple Cold and Jet Pro SofStretch WILL NOT work!

  • The heat transfer paper is our Alpha Double Green. It was printed on a 6-color Epson 1400 inkjet printer, using our TransMagic! T-shirt inks and our MagicFlow! CIS bulk ink unit.

  • The Alpha Double Green heat transfer sheet has been placed onto the carrier sheet.

  • The adhesive film on the carrier sheet is 11x17 and holds the Alpha Double Green firmly, so that the transfer paper won’t slip during cutting. The same carrier sheet is also used to hold 8.5x11 sheets

     


  • We first position the blade just inside the first registration mark by using the cutter control panel.

  • Then the “continue” button is pushed and the Automatic Registration Marking Sensor (ARMS) registers all four marks

  • The actual outline cutting took about 17 seconds.

  • We removed the heat transfer paper from the carrier sheet and have started peeling the unprinted, blank film from its paper backing.

  • The picture is reversed because after weeding, we will take the transfer sheet off the carrier sheet and place it face down onto the shirt.

  • The shirt has been pre-pressed (touching it with heat 2-3 seconds) and then the transfer placed on a Gildan Ultra 2000, 100% cotton shirt.

  • The press is a 15x15 HIX HT-400P. The press is set at 380°, 30 seconds, with a pressure setting of 4.

  • A 15x15 Teflon sheet is being placed over everything (the Teflon can be used 1000’s of times). The press is then closed and locked, for pressing.

  • After the pressing cycle is over, the Teflon is removed and the entire shirt (with the backer still on it) is taken off the press and put on a table, to cool (about 45 sec.) Alpha Double Green is peeled warm.

  • Time, temperature, pressure and wait time (to peel the paper back off) is important. Always closely follow your instructions.

Finished Shirt

Outline (contour) Cutting Alpha Gold Dark for colored shirts

READ ME FIRST – During the demo, the printed transfer is placed on a “carrier sheet” to feed it through the cutter. This clear acetate sheet has an adhesive film on it to hold the transfer. There are two reasons that it is necessary to use a carrier sheet to outline cut heat transfer paper

  • If the feeder rollers on the cutter were actually rolling across the transfer film they would quickly gum up and slip.

  • There must be at least 1” margins. For this reason, the carrier sheet is bigger than the 11x17 Alpha Gold Dark.

  • The graphic is on the screen, and the registration marks have been added, using the Graphtec program.

  • We’re using the Graphtec Cutting Master 2 Plug-in module, along with CorelDraw 11.

  • The 11x17 opaque heat transfer paper (for dark fabrics) has printed.

  • The heat transfer paper is our Alpha Gold Dark. It was printed on a 6-color Epson 1400 inkjet printer, using our TransMagic! T-shirt inks and our MagicFlow! CIS bulk ink unit.

  • The Alpha Gold Dark transfer has been placed onto the carrier sheet.

  • The adhesive film on the carrier sheet is 11x17 and holds the Alpha Gold Dark firmly, so that the transfer paper won’t slip during cutting. The same carrier sheet is also used to hold 8.5x11 sheets

     


  • We first position the blade just inside the first registration mark by using the cutter control panel.

  • Then the “continue” button is pushed and the Automatic Registration Marking Sensor (ARMS) registers all four marks

  • The actual outline cutting took about 14 seconds.

  • We removed the heat transfer paper from the carrier sheet and have started peeling the cut, printed picture from its paper backing.

  • Unlike all other heat transferred materials, the opaque Alpha Gold Dark heat transfer film itself, is placed face up, on the shirt. That is why it is being peeled off the paper back.

  • The shirt has been pre-pressed (touching it with heat 2-3 seconds) and then the transfer placed on a Gildan Ultra 2000, 100% cotton shirt.

  • The press is a 15x15 HIX HT-400P. The press is set at 380°, 30 seconds, with a pressure setting of 2.

  • Parchment paper (provided with the Alpha Gold Dark transfer paper) has been placed over the transfer.

  • A 15x15 Teflon sheet is being placed over everything (the Teflon can be used 1000’s of times). The press is then closed and locked, for pressing.

  • After the pressing cycle is over, the Teflon is removed and the entire shirt (with the parchment still on it) is carefully taken off the press and put on a table, to cool (about 45 sec.)

  • After 30 seconds, a clean rag is brushed across the parchment paper for about 15 sec. This helps dissipate heat and loosen the parchment paper. The parchment paper is carefully removed (it is reusable 5-6 times)

Finished Shirt

Updated: Friday September 10, 2010